The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-01-15
The Sunday School.
LESSON FOR JANUARY 90, 1887.
BY REV. ROBERT I. POLK.
NOAH AND THE ARK.
[Genesis vi. 1921
NOAH.

NOAH.
OF the sons of Adam, Cain and Seth be
came the heads of two distinct families, Of
which we have an account in the Bible. It
rightly understand the history contained IN
the Bible in its relation to general history
wa must bear in mind that the Bible is chiefly
an account of the kingdom of Cop, or rec
ord of the revelation of COP in the history OF
that kingdom, and employs only such gen.
eral history as relates to the kingdom, or
connects it with the Creator and His crea-
tion. especially man. A brief account of the
Cainites is contained in the Bible, chiefly be-
cause of their relation to the events described
in our Lesson to- day. Cain was man OF
violence, the first murderer. He left the
home of his parents, and the presence OF
JEHovAH''-which may mean that he aban-
doned the worship of GoD,-and became a
wanderer. His descendants founded city,
and. it would seem, devoted themselves to
purely worldly interests, some OF them be-
coming distinguished as artisans, and invent
ors in mechanics. Their genealogy ends with
the family of Lamech, "the violent man."
the fifth in descent from Cain, who had slain
an antagonist, and who was polygamlst, as
appears from scrap of poetry celebrating
his violence, which is contained in the rec
ord and addressed to his wives Adah and Zil-
lab (iv. 1924. The defendants OF Seth
became distinguished for their piety. "Ihey
proclaimed the name of JEHOVAH" They
were called 'sthe sons of GOD" Enoch, the
fifth in descent from Seth, is distinguished
for having "walked with GoD," for having
"pIeased GoD," and for having been trans
lated by faith, that he did not see death He
brews XII. 81.
MAY not faith in Immortality be implied
in this reference? and may not the prema-
ture departure of Enoeh from earth have
been regarded as Divine favor SHOWN MN
for his piety,-a way of accounting for SO
early departure of life? He walked SO close
ly with COP that when he came to die he
only continued his walk, GoD taking him
with Him into the immortal world; ana 30
by his faith, or on account OF has falth IN I'M
mortality, he saw not death, but experienced ce
only translation from the earthly to the
heavenly
The descent from Seth is traced through
eight generations to the family of Noah, who
also "walked with GoD." In the course of
events, as the inhabitants of the land greatly
increased, the two families intermarrled:
s'the sons of COP took them wives from the
fair daughters of men," By this intermar
riage the characteristics of the Caintes were
extended, and generation of mighty men,
not necessarily giants, but VIGOROUSLY yio-
lent and warlike, were produced. In this
way wickedness increased in the earth, till
all the inhabitants were corrupted and the
tendency became hopelessly evil, when COP
determined to destroy them from the face of
the earth, and to renew the race from one
righteous family.
sNoah, a righteous man, was blameless
among his generations, 1.-THE people of his
time. In the midst of "wicked and per-
verse generation" he "walked with COB, -
and maintained the integrity of righteous
character. His family comprised three sons,
Shem, Ham, and Japheth. "The earth was
filled with violence" and GoD is represented
as having surveyed with grief the general
corruption. He is too pure to look upon sin
with indifference. By figure of speech
called anthropomorphism, feelings, thoughts
and actions appropriate to men are attributed
to COP. COP ''sees" what is, and says"
what is revealed or accomplished. Hespeaks
to the soul by His spirit. He declares His
judgments in the providences of life and In
the movements of human history. He re-
yealed to Noah, who lived in communion
with Him, that mankind upon the earth had
reached the extremity of corruption and
wickedness, and their destruction was near.
1t was determined that flood of water that
would destroy all flesh should come upon the
earth, and Noah was instructed to prepare an
ark for the preservation of his family and a
pair of all living creatures. The Dimensions
and general form of the ark are given: ''the
length of the ark three hundred cubits (about
one hundred and forty-fve feet), the breadth
of it fifty cubits (-seventy-fve feet), and
the height of it thirty cubits" (-forty- five
feet). 1t was to be constructed of resin
GUS wood, probably cypress, with three sto-
ries, containing rooms, and having windows
near the top, and door in the side, and was
to be coated with pitch (asphalt) both on the
inside and outside. Into this vessel Noah
was commanded to enter with his wife and
his three sons and their wives, and to take
with them two of every species of animal,
and food sufficient to sustain them. THUS
did Noah, according to all that GoD com
handed him." He continued to walk in the
way of His commandments, though he might
not have understood them.
"When we cannot see our way
Let US trust and still obey"